So it seems to be losing weight isn't the same after you've had bypass. Of course not right away! I'm a little more than a year post op and haven't lost weight since I don't even know when. I often think the surgery was a failure as far as weight loss goes, it DID reverse the type 2 diabetes I had! THANK GOD. However, before surgery I could do a caloric deficit and lose weight, count or watch carbs and generally lose weight. I have no clue what to do now. Am I eating too much am I eating too little?? WE DONT KNOW. In general in your opinion what is the ideal amount of calories for weight loss being a bariatric patient?

My ideal amount of calories fluctuates.
I have a scale that tells me what my BMR is based on weight/body fat/muscle mass, hydration, etc.

It currently says around 1560 so I *try* to keep this in mind when I make choices throughout the day if I’m trying to lose a little.

Technically, I think I could go over this amount by a couple of hundred calories and be fine but I would need to track for an extended period of time to be certain. That sounds like a lot of work to me ?

You may need to come up with a way to figure out your needs, but a few things to keep in mind:

Are you at or close to goal/normal weight? That can slow the process down a lot.

Do you know your weightloss vs maintenance calorie goals ? If you haven’t gained or lost, you are likely in maintenance.

COVID/Quarantine stressors have affected a lot of people. Some people have lost but plenty of people have gained weight as well from stressful times. You maybe maintaining.

Any other major life changes like medication of menopause, subsequent illness can cause plateaus and even gains.

I hope that helped a little ❤️

Edited March 4, 20215 yr by GreenTealael

Lauren, we're the same height. I'm pretty active. I get at least 10,000 steps every day (most days 13,000-15,000)

To maintain, I eat 1400-1600 calories a day.

To lose, I eat 1200 a day.

Logging every bite that goes in my mouth is the sneaky part for me.

you're eating too many calories - not too few.

once you get a ways out, calories are going to vary a lot depending on the person. The only way to find "your" range is to experiment with different ranges to find your sweet spot. I maintain on 1500-1700 a day. If I consistently eat at the lower end of that, or under it, I'll start loosing. If I eat above that range too often, I'll start to gain.

I would say I'm moderately active. I usually do cardio (30-45 mins) about 4x a week and strength training (15-20 minutes) 2x a week. I do a lot more cardio in the summer, though, when I do a lot of walking and biking.

It might also not be just your caloric intake... but what nutrients are you eating? Are you getting enough protein? Are you drinking enough water? Are you eating healthier fats? Are you eating too many carbs and/or the wrong carbs? Track your food for a few weeks and schedule an appointment with your nutritionist. Showing the nutritionist what and how much you are eating would probably be a better plan to follow than asking general "what works for others" . What works for me might not work for you. But get back to the basics and make sure you are following the prescribed diet. If you don't know what that is, then talk to your nutritionist and come up with a better game plan.